The present general inventive concept relates generally to an animal garment, and more particularly to a garment for quadrupeds that promotes healing by restricting motion of the quadruped, protecting an incision or wound site by securing any medication, bandages, padding, drain tubes and such related medical apparatus in the site area, and allowing attending humans access to the wound site without having to remove the entire garment.
Caring for quadrupeds after injury or surgery has long been a challenge. Unlike human patients, animals such as but not limited to dogs, coyotes, foxes, wolves, and cats—including domestic and feral cats, along with larger felines such as tigers, lions, panthers, cougars and ocelots—typically do not understand the healing requisites of reduced mobility and sterility as it pertains to a wound or surgical site. Abdominal wounds or abdominal surgery is particularly challenging due to the stretching of skin during movement, as well as the animal's tendencies to lick, scratch or otherwise access and irritate the wound site. This jeopardizes the recovery of the wound, and, ultimately, the overall health of the animal if the site is exposed to infectious contaminants.
One challenge associated with caring for a wound or incision site on animals stems from the inability to effectively adhere a bandage over the site, even when the animal's fur is shaved from the affected area. Further, non-adhesive bandages that wrap around the midsection of the animal provide insufficient protection, as these types of bandages tend to compress, shift, or otherwise distort as the animal moves about during recovery, often exposing the site and making it vulnerable to reopening, additional injury, or site contamination. Also, typically, non-adhesive bandages circumvent the entire animal's midsection, thus preventing ready access to the wound or incision site for any post-surgical treatment. In addition, such non-adhesive bandages that circumvent the midsection generally must be unwound or cut off the animal in order to be removed for post-surgical treatment of the incision site, bandage change, or other appropriate post-operative care of the animal. For any of the above-referenced traditional bandaging options, these materials (whether adhesive or non-adhesive) are usually disposable and/or of one-time useability, and not washable nor reusable.
In addition to the above bandaging matters, and health concerns for the animal, often the humans treating the animal also have additional concerns, such as fluid draining from the wound site while the animal is recovering. If left unbandaged, or, alternatively, covered with bandaging that provide insufficient protection of the wound site, the draining fluid can stain the animal's containment area, including, in the case of companion animals, floors and furniture within a home. Further, the fluid from a wound site frequently contains an undesirable odor that can be difficult to eliminate once it has soaked into porous surfaces such as upholstered furniture.
To circumvent these and related issues, various methods of bandaging and/or restraint have been introduced in the prior art. There are, however, significant voids within the art. One such void is a means to prevent the bandaging from moving upward or downward along the animal's torso, or moving to either side, and exposing the wound area. Also, there exists no site-accessible bandaging garment, such that a treating attendant can readily access the incision or wound site. Further, the animal's movement remains relatively unrestricted, thus skin movement around the wound site may result in reopening of or damage to the site.
Therefore, there exists a need for a garment for protection of a wound or incision site on an animal that prevents longitudinal and lateral shifting of the garment during use and provides for exposure of the wound or incision site for treatment without requiring removal of the garment.